Cruel Summer
by kangaroo
Summary: Can Petunia really hate Harry that much? A look into her mind as she explains her actions to herself, this is not what you think. Try and review. I NEED HELP! PLEASE OFFER SUGGESTIONS!


Cruel Summer  
  
Disclaimer; not mine. Don't sue.  
  
A/N I doubt many people will like this but please review and tell me if any would be interested in reading something like this. Unfortunately, this chapter does a lot of boring explaining but bear with me and help improve!!  
  
Chapter One  
  
In a town near Surrey. On a street in Little Whinging lived a family. Now to most this family appeared rather normal. The rather large moustached man would leave for work each morning and say goodbye to his rather large son, who it was commented looked like a pig in a wig. He would peck his rather thin wife on the cheek and drive to work in his company car.  
  
During school time the thin woman would take her son to school. But unknown to many, there was another child in this family. He couldn't particularly be described as unusual, small and scrawny with messy hair was a common look for many boys his age. His family, however, tried to keep him as out of sight as possible. At the moment it was the summer holidays and, obviously, neither boy attended school. The large child worked his hardest at becoming even larger whilst killing his brain cells with daytime TV. The small child worked. He did chores round the house and in the back garden, far from the sight of any particularly nosy neighbours, at the order of his uncle.  
  
As ordinary as this particularly family outwardly appeared to be, this summer would not be normal for any of them.  
  
On one hot day, a letter appeared on the Dursley's doorstep. It was addressed in an unusual way. To Mr Harry Potter it said. Mr Harry Potter was the short scrawny lad who was mentioned before. The addresser of this letter seemed to know that Mr Harry Potter lived in the cupboard under the stairs. Not a normal place for a boy to live, but, of course, no one outside of the family knew this.  
  
The Dursley's, particularly Mr Vernon Dursley, did not appear to be pleased about Mr Harry Potter receiving such a letter, because when it was opened the letter revealed some very 'abnormal' goings on.  
  
From this day until at least a week later the family Dursley plus Mr Harry Potter adopted a very unusual life. Mr Vernon Dursley led the other three people around the country. It was discovered that he was attempting to avoid receiving any more of the unusual letters, especially after they began to be delivered by large owls.  
  
Now it was during one of these attempts to 'escape' the letters that the family ended up on a rock in the Sea. Dudley, the Dursley's son, was annoyed that he had no access to a fridge or a television. Mr Vernon Dursley had adopted a rather crazed, psychotic look and was glaring out the window as if to dare it to deliver another letter. Harry Potter remained silent, quietly celebrating his forgotten birthday. Mrs Petunia Dursley, however, was thoughtful.  
  
Petunia reflected on her life and the actions she now regretted. Mostly she thought about Lily Evans/Potter, her sister. Now one must understand that Lily was pretty, clever and younger that Petunia. This was not a problem for either as the 2 sisters loved each other very much and were very close. That was until one day, Lily received a letter much like the one that was trying reach Mr Harry Potter a that moment.  
  
The contents of the letter told the Evans' that magic existed and it was taught at a school. Both Lily and Petunia had believed in magic as young children but had outgrown it to some extent. This letter had now confirmed its existence and promised Lily that she actually possessed magical 'powers', something else that Petunia didn't. Again, this did not matter to either of the young girls nor their parents. Petunia thought hat this magic thing was 'neat' and to have a trained witch in the house would be brilliant. But there was something else in the letter, something that did not sit very well with Petunia at all. The magical school mentioned in the letter was a boarding school. This school was going to take her beloved sister away from her for months at a time.  
  
Lily's parents were thrilled, they had each other, but who was Petunia to talk to? Of course, she kept these feelings hidden from Lily and her parents, she knew that they would think her silly for harbouring such feelings.  
  
As September approached she realised that Lily really would be leaving for three months until Christmas. Petunia decided that this would be a very trying time for her and she would miss her sister dearly. The best way to combat this, she supposed one night, would be to distance herself from her sister. And the next morning this is what she did. She began to snap at Lily and tried to provoke an angry reaction from her, anything to make her like her sister less.  
  
All too soon it was time for school to start, she waved a painful goodbye to her sister at the train station and hoped to every god in the skies that this was a joke and Lily would come home to be with Petunia. This, however, did not happen.  
  
By Christmas, Petunia was desperately lonely and deep inside of her a feeling began to grow. Resentment. Towards the school that had ripped her sister from her. Towards the culture that had become Lily's life. When Lily returned it appeared that she had an excellent time at Hogwarts, the magical school, and had made lots of new friends. To Petunia it appeared that she had not missed her sister at all and, though she didn't discuss it with Lily, was jealous. Again, the time came for Lily to leave, only to return at Easter.  
  
When she did return during the holiday Lily was just as happy at Hogwarts as ever and showed them all moving pictures and enchanted objects. This time, however, she brought dark news. There were wizards in this other world who held a grudge toward muggles, the word used by magical folk to describe non-magical people. These wizards also seemed to dislike muggle- borns, people whose parents were both muggles. People like Lily, Petunia thought with a lump in her throat.  
  
There was a leader among these muggle-hating wizards seemed to be gaining power and the number of suspicious deaths amoung muggle-borns was rising. Lily assured her parents that whilst she was at Hogwarts the great Professor Dumbledore would keep all the students safe. These assurances did nothing to allay Petunia's qualms about the whole situation. She was now sure that if Lily continued to associate with wizards it would eventually lead to her demise. The thought did not occur to her that the more magical training Lily received the better she would be able to protect herself.  
  
And so Petunia's resentment towards anything wizarding grew. And grew and grew, until it lay in her stomach like a rock. By the time Lily finished school Petunia hated her for endangering herself and leaving her for so long and despised anything wizard-like for endangering her sister. Lily in turn was hurt and upset that her sister had pushed her way so many times and was angry that they now no longer got on. She missed her sister.  
  
So, when they were 18 they departed, only to communicate through Christmas cards. It was during this lonely time that Petunia married. To a rather large and forceful man by the name of Vernon Dursley. He was not particularly interesting or friendly, but Petunia thought that it was unlikely she would do any better. She had word that Lily was to be married also, to her childhood sweetheart, a wizard by the name of James Potter. She had been invited to their wedding but had declined, unwilling to witness her sister marry someone who was so involved in the wizarding world that he would surely get Lily killed. It never occurred to Petunia that this man was powerful enough to protect her sister and was a kind man and would take good care of her, unlike her own husband.  
  
Not long following this, Petunia became pregnant, much to her surprise and her husband's delight. She soon discovered that being married to Vernon Dursley required her to stay at home and live as a housewife and take care of her husband's 'heir'. She, of course, would love her son dearly but couldn't help but feel trapped in her unhappy marriage. It just a few short months following this that she received a thrilled letter from Lily, which told her that she was also expecting a son, a magical son. Lily was now so involved in the wizarding world that Petunia was sure that she would be killed for it. Petunia herself was now so deeply embedded in her resentment for the wizarding world for taking away and endangering her Lily that it did not seem possible for her to ever repair things with her sister. Petunia now cut all correspondence with hr sister, unwilling to subject herself to the pan she would undoubtedly feel if anything were to happen to Lily, or, she thought ironically, her nephew.  
  
A year and a few months later, on All Hallows Eve, tragedy struck. The next morning Petunia awoke to find upon her doorstep, her nephew and a letter from Professor Dumbledore, the person who was meant to keep Lily safe. The letter explained that Lily and her husband had indeed met their end, and it was now up to her, Petunia, to protect her sister's son due to something called a 'blood bond'. Petunia thought that now her worst dreams had come true nothing could get any worse and did not think anymore more pain would be caused by taking in her nephew and caring for him like he was her own.  
  
It was now, unfortunately, she discovered a rather nasty side to her husband. He was a bit of a bigot and did not think 'magic' was a respectable or normal thing to be involved with. Considering that Vernon was a great deal bigger and more forceful than Petunia added to the fact that Petunia had now been oppressed as a housewife for two plus years resulted in the small child being 'put away' in the cupboard under the stairs. Petunia was now forced to agree with everything her husband said, she was not allowed to be kind to her nephew and was to ensure everything Dudley got was bigger and better than what her nephew, Harry, received. This continued for 10 years.  
  
Petunia lived in fear that her husband would harm her or the children or throw them out onto the streets if she did not comply with his every whim. So she put on an elaborate act, she pampered her son and was horrible to Harry, as much as it broke her heart. In 10 years she had had only a few opportunities to say or do anything nice for Harry and was now scared that anything she did would be reported to her husband by her piggish son, who had adopted his father's bigoted attitude.  
  
Now, as she gazed out of the window of the house on the rock in the Sea, she wondered how on earth she could ever escape her nightmare life. Harry, luckily for him was taken away to Hogwarts, something she was secretly pleased about now that her hatred towards said school had abated somewhat. She lived her life monotonously until the next summer when Harry would return. She had almost a year to formulate a plan.  
  
A/N so what did you think? REVIEW!!!! Tell me if this is worth carrying on. 


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